In the frigid air on a plaza outside police headquarters, a patrol car sat alone. On its windshield was an over-sized photo of Patrolman Christopher Matlosz, who was cut down in a hail of bullets he never had a chance of answering or avoiding.
Bouquets of roses and chrysanthemums adorned the roof, under red and blue lights. On the trunk sat two votive candles, one of which had blown out in the subfreezing wind.
The car served as the focal point of a candlelight vigil Monday night for the 27-year-old Matlosz, who police say was shot three times Friday by a teenager he had started to question.
The dead officer's fiancee, Kelly Walsifer, and his mother, Jane Coliao, wept on a platform overlooking the plaza as fellow officers gave tribute to him, and strangers cried along with them.
“Chris had that million-dollar smile that automatically made you a friend of his,” said Englishtown police Officer Trevor Martinson, a close friend of Matlosz from his days with that department. “It still hasn't sunk in yet. We loved him like a brother.”
Hundreds of people packed the plaza, lighting candles and holding them aloft as bagpipes wailed “Amazing Grace.”
That suspect, 19-year-old Jahmell Crockam, was arrested Sunday morning. He is charged with murder and weapons offenses, and will make an initial court appearance on Tuesday.
Crockam was arrested Sunday morning in Camden, about 60 miles from the crime scene. He was in police custody and couldn't be reached for comment.
But Monday night was all about Matlosz, who had served on the police force for four years and was to be married next year. On the dashboard of the patrol car was a photo of him and his fiancee, beaming as she showed off the engagement ring Matlosz had given her.
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Matlosz's colleague and friend Elsynia Seaman glowed with praise for him.
“He was a really great guy, a unique, genuine person, and it's hard to find those nowadays,” said Seaman, who served with Matlosz on the Howell Township First Aid Squad and knew him for years before that. “He could make anybody laugh.”
Seaman recalled how selfless Matlosz was about teaching her the ropes on the first aid squad, the ins and outs of the ambulance and all the equipment that went with it, the proper procedure to be followed for a particular situation.
Her father, Ron Seaman, who also served on the first aid squad with Matlosz, said the death “still hasn't sunk in.”
“It's unbelievable,” he said. “If he had a dollar on him and you were cold, he'd give you the dollar and the shirt off his back. He was that kind of guy.”
The vigil comes as the police department helps Matlosz's family plan his funeral and viewing. The viewing is scheduled from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday at Lakewood Funeral Home in Howell, N.J.
The funeral will be held at noon Thursday at St. Mary of the Lake Church in Lakewood, N.J. Law enforcement officers from all around the country are expected to attend.
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